The Loon Preservation Committee (LPC) biologists, Sam Merker, was last on Great East June 28th.  The news is not very good.  Only two loon pairs have nested, in the Scribner River and the second basin.  Both pairs are off the nest, with two chicks reported in the Scribner but only one chick was observed with it's parents in the large part of the lake on June 29th.  The second basin pair were observed without chicks and egg fragments were found in the nest.  It is not known if the egg/s were eaten or if the chick/s were lost after hatching.  There was no nest found in Copp Brook and the nesting site on Loon Island has not been used.  It is still possible for the loons to try again but it is getting late.

The Annual Loon count was held on Saturday July 17th.  View loon statistics from past years.

Saturday, August 21^st

Amy Smagula, NH Department of Environmental Services, will be conducting a Workshop here at Great East Lake.  Participants will go out on pontoon boats and examine weeds in the Scribner River.  Meet at the ME Boat Ramp at 10 AM.

Registration is required as space is limited and Amy needs to know how many kits to bring.

Register by emailing:

Marcia Hodsdon at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 603-522-3372

Dee Kasprzak at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 207-636-2913

Dorothy Smith at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 603-522-3193

Thursday, August 19

Invasive Plant Patrol Workshop presented by Maine Volunteer Lake Monitors at Sanford Fish and Game Club from 2:30 to 8:30.  This is an excellent workshop and you will be given 2 publications that will help in plant identification.  To register go to

www.mainevolunteerlakemonitors.org/workshops.

Both of these training opportunities are free and will enhance your knowledge.

WHO? Anyone who is committed to maintaining the pristine conditions of our beautiful lake that is free from invasive weeds, so far.

WHY? Invasive aquatic plants have been a problem in lakes in NH and ME for several decades. Variable milfoil is by far the most widespread. This plant is found in portions of Lake Winnipesaukee and numerous other bodies of water in our area. It takes only a small portion of this plant to take root in our waters. Wildfowl can also spread these invasive plants. Other problematic species include fanwort, hydrilla, water chestnut, Eurasian milfoil and curly- leafed pondweed. Early detection of invasive aquatic plants ensures the most effective control. Once an invader is well established, eradication is extremely difficult and costly, if not impossible.

Now that the watershed management plan is complete AWWA is actively addressing some of the recommendations in the plan.

• Our Youth Conservation Corps, led by our new program director Howard Dupee, will be busy fixing erosion sites that were identified in the watershed surveys. If you’d like some advice please give him a call at (603) 473-2500 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
• AWWA is partnering with the UNH Stormwater Center, York County Soil & Water Conservation District, the towns of Acton and Wakefield, the Maine Dept. of Environmental Protection and the NH Dept. of Environmental Services to address pollution problems caused by roads in the watersheds.
• Community roundtables will be coordinated to share ideas about how our land use may affect water quality and brainstorm new efforts to get the word out and fix existing issues.
• AWWA is developing a Phosphorus Footprint program. Phosphorus is a naturally occurring nutrient can cause algae blooms when too much reaches the lake. It exists in sediments, fertilizers, pet waste, septic systems and washes into the lakes with the rain. There are many actions we each can take to reduce our personal Phosphorus Footprint so be on the lookout for how to participate.
• The Floating Classroom will highlight the wonders of lake ecology for youth and adults. The two hour pontoon boat program will include conducting water quality sampling, catching and viewing the local zooplankton, and identifying native and non-native aquatic plants. Announcement of the program details will be on the GELIA and AWWA websites.

For more information about AWWA’s efforts please visit the AWWA website www.AWwatersheds.org or call (603) 473-2500.
Remember - What happens in the water begins on land.